From the initial encounter of "pioneering and building ports" in 2005, to the current "hub port" in Shenlan, starting from the pioneering of 150000 ton waterways, to the proud standing of 300000 ton deepwater hubs; From a regional port with an annual throughput of 60 million tons to a world-class port with 346 million tons. In 2025, China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC) and Lianyungang Port will embark on their 20th anniversary together. This blue journey spanning Double Ten is no longer just a construction epic intertwined with the roar of machines and waves, but also a touching answer to the deep cultivation of port and shipping construction.
The foundation of the original intention of expanding the sea
Embark on a journey of crossing boundaries
In 2005, the annual throughput of Lianyungang Port had just exceeded 60 million tons. The 10.5 meter deep waterway was like an "invisible threshold", blocking large ships loaded with cargo from the port. The soft geology of the muddy coast and the repeated interference of strong currents made many builders hesitate.
This year, CCCC Guangzhou Navigation Bureau took over the responsibility of the second section of the 150000 ton waterway expansion project at Lianyungang Port with its independently developed intelligent dredging technology. After entering the mid-term stage of project implementation, a hard clay layer appeared at the bottom of the trench, making excavation much more difficult than expected. In order to ensure the smooth progress of the construction period and guarantee the construction quality, the bureau dispatched large drag suction dredgers with stronger soil breaking capabilities for construction. At the same time, the existing ship machinery equipment was renovated, including increasing the weight of the rake head, increasing the high-pressure flushing pressure, and installing high-pressure flushing devices in the mud tank. These measures effectively overcame geological difficulties and ultimately ensured the timely and high-quality completion of the project.
Over the past 20 years, CCCC Guangzhou Navigation Bureau has completed a total of 11 landmark projects at Lianyungang Port, with a dredging volume exceeding 60 million cubic meters, gradually increasing the water depth of the waterway from 10.5 meters to 22.5 meters, and successfully achieving a leap from a 150000 ton to a 300000 ton waterway.
During this period, CCCC Guangzhou Airlines explored new paths of development with innovative business concepts. The land formation project of Lianyungang Seaside New Area in 2008 was the first "investment driven main business" project implemented by China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC), "recalled Zhou Zengquan, who participated in the project. At that time, the company adhered to the concept of" establishing the enterprise with dredging as the main business and relying on two ends of operation to develop the enterprise ", and explored the" investment+construction "model from simple construction. Not only did the project be completed ahead of schedule, but it also won unanimous recognition from the local government and the owners. This project has successively won honors such as "Safe Construction Site" and "Civilized Construction Site" in Jiangsu Province, "Outstanding Project in the Labor Competition of the National Seamen's Federation", and "May Day Labor Medal of Guangdong Province", becoming an important milestone in the transformation and development of the enterprise.
Looking at Lianyungang Port now, a 300000 ton giant ship can operate day and night, and China Europe freight trains can efficiently transport goods here. Its core hub position as the starting point of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge at the eastern end has become increasingly stable. The name of China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC) has long been deeply engraved in the development of this port city, becoming an important footnote to its high-quality development.
A stroke of ingenuity that breaks through boundaries
Draw a deep water base color
The morning sunshine shines on the construction sea area of Lianyungang Port, and the giant cabin of the dredging ship "Dredging Sea 6" slowly rises. The mud and sand loaded inside the cabin witness the deepening of another section of the waterway - this is the daily life of the builders of CCCC Guangzhou Navigation Bureau, and also a microcosm of the 20-year battle.
In the summer of 2012, the construction of the H2.3 section of the first phase of the 300000 ton waterway project was progressing at full speed. However, Typhoon Dawei, a Category 12 typhoon, came suddenly with strong winds and huge waves.
Fortunately, we were well prepared. As soon as the typhoon warning was issued, we immediately activated the emergency plan and successfully towed all the suction dredgers to the sheltered anchorage. "Li Binbin, who was then the project secretary of the section, recalled that after the auxiliary ship of the project completed the towing task, it did not have time to catch its breath when it received a rescue instruction from the maritime department and successfully rescued a distressed ship. This performance of "staying calm in the face of danger and daring to take risks and rescue" not only earned the project team recognition from the maritime department, but also earned the project the first batch of "Safe Construction Site" demonstration projects in Jiangsu Province with its excellent safety management.
The 300000 ton waterway of Lianyungang Port is the core lifeline project for building an international hub port. The waterway adopts a "human" shaped layout, effectively connecting Lianyungang District and Xuwei Port Area. After the completion of the project, the port's throughput capacity and operational efficiency have been significantly improved, further strengthening Lianyungang's strategic position as an international hub port.
In 2021, the second phase of the 300000 ton waterway project, Xuwei Channel H2.3 section, encountered another "hard bone" - the interweaving of seabed hard clay and calcareous nodules. The clay is prone to block the rake tube, bond in the cabin, and leave a large amount of residue due to bow blowing.
This is the first time that the dredged soil bow of a 300000 ton waterway has been blown ashore, and it is also the first clay blowing project for the bow of a drag suction dredger by CCCC Guangzhou Navigation Bureau. The project manager at the time, Tao Zongheng, led a team to establish a special research group to carry out the study of "large drag suction dredger clay bow blowing construction method", proposed an optimization plan of "using the empty window period of the cofferdam closure to directly throw the hard clay into the mud receiving area", innovatively launched the "silt clay mixed loading" construction technology, and conducted process verification on the drag suction dredger "Dredging Sea 1". In the end, the large-scale clay bow blowing of rake suction ships was successfully implemented in the East China region, overcoming the construction difficulties of clay bow blowing and effectively improving construction efficiency. It has won honors such as Jiangsu Province's "Safe Construction Site" Demonstration Project and China Communications Construction Group's Excellent Project Department, providing the industry with a replicable "Guangzhou Navigation Plan".
As an important node of the "the Belt and Road" maritime transport corridor, the 300000 ton waterway bears the mission of transforming Lianyungang Port into a large deep-water port, and has witnessed the vigorous pace of coastal development in Jiangsu Province. The completion of this waterway enables Lianyungang to become the only national comprehensive transportation hub in Jiangsu Province, relying on the three-dimensional transportation advantages of "300000 ton deep-water seaport+national railway hub+global expressway network+4D airport+Jiangsu Shandong Henan Anhui inland river network".
The rudder of unity and prosperity
Planning a new chapter in port and shipping
From the initial encounter of "pioneering and building ports" in 2005, to now walking side by side towards "hub prosperity", the twenty year journey of China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC) and Lianyungang has never been a "lone battle".
Through the joint efforts of relevant units in Lianyungang Port and Shipping, and the deep cooperation driven by "technology+resources", we have witnessed the transformation of Lianyungang Port from a regional port to a global hub. This 20-year process has injected a continuous stream of "Guangzhou Shipping Power" into the high-quality development of the port city.
The depth of this collaboration lies in the tacit understanding of each technological breakthrough and resource complementarity. Both parties have innovatively established a collaborative mechanism of "technology+resources", resonating with each other in the fields of smart port construction, ecological waterway operation and maintenance, and port industry layout. With the technological advantages of intelligent dredging and ecological restoration, CCCC Guangzhou Navigation Bureau has cracked the "hard bones" of port construction, while Lianyungang Port and Shipping related units have built a "guarantee network" for project promotion with accurate geological data and scientific construction window planning.
Shi Lei, the current project manager of Jiangsu Engineering General Project Department, has a deep understanding of this. He said, "The soil conditions of the No. 6 anchorage project are complex and diverse. In addition to conventional silt and clay, there are also calcified soils with higher construction difficulty, which pose significant challenges to the progress of the operation. Based on three months of on-site construction practice and survey data, the project area has clearly shown differentiated geological characteristics of 'hard in the east and soft in the west'. In response to this situation, currently two dredgers have focused on the hard strata in the eastern part of the project and are using a cyclic operation mode to continue construction. The next step is to introduce an improved version of the plow equipment, using a multi process collaborative approach of 'dredger cycle construction+specialized equipment enhanced operation', to fully ensure the timely completion and delivery of the project. ”
During the 2025 SCO Summit, the Lianyungang China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway Public Intermodal Transport Special Train was launched, and the new Asia Europe land sea intermodal transport channel with Lianyungang Port as the hub was revitalized. Behind this, there is not only the support of the upgrading of port level, but also the empowerment of the full chain service capability of CCCC Guangzhou Navigation Bureau.
The Yellow Sea surges with a force that always rushes forward; The journey of struggle is forever engraved with upward footsteps. Zhang Shubin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Director, and General Manager of the Dredging Company of CCCC Guanghang, has a resolute gaze and a firm tone: "We will remain consistent and never slack off, integrating the concept of creating quality engineering into every aspect of the construction of Lianyungang Port. With full enthusiasm, we will make every effort to promote the construction towards a safer, more environmentally friendly, more efficient, and higher quality direction, and continue to deliver excellent quality answers on the journey of deepening the construction of Lianyungang Port
From the pioneers in 2005 to the co builders today, the next twenty years between China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC) and Lianyungang are destined to be even more exciting "blue legends". When the morning light of a new day shines on the port area, both sides will anchor themselves in "sailing together" and continue to work hand in hand with Lianyungang Port on the magnificent journey of becoming a "maritime power", allowing this fate that crosses the Double Tenth to continue writing more chapters of China's port and shipping in the deep blue sea. (Li Xiaomin, Mao Xiaochong)